ABSTRACT
Ever since the overt nuclearisation of Pakistan, the country’s nuclear programme has attracted a great deal of scholarship from across the world. Watchers of South Asian security issues and the international community have raised their eyebrows at the safety and security of Islamabad’s nuclear assets and the associated risks of proliferation. However, Islamabad’s nuclear developments are analysed with respect to their impact on strategic stability in the region. Pakistan’s introduction of Tactical Nuclear Weapons (TNWs), its seaward nuclearisation and the continuation of First Use policy have been critiqued and deemed destabilising. These developments do represent a change in Islamabad’s nuclear doctrine, from a purely war-prevention one to one that wants to prevent war by adopting a war-fighting capability. This chapter analyses changes in Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine through the lenses of Islamabad’s deterrence goals and the theory of deterrence. It also assesses the effects of doctrinal shifts on strategic stability in the region. The chapter argues that the shift in Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine is consistent with its deterrence goals and the evolving threat perceptions. This lends strength to its deterrence mix and bolsters strategic stability in South Asia.
